They are generally made of walnut, pine or ginko wood, often sourced from the carpenter's local area.
[1][2] Carvings and murals showing images of soban have been found in tombs dating back to the time of the Goguryeo kingdom.
As well as being used for dining, soban were also used for general carrying tasks, as writing desks and as small altars for prayers or for burning incense.
[3] Soban are generally fairly small, due to the historical custom of family members and guests each having their own individual table.
[3] The art of making soban, called sobanjang, is designated one of Korea's Important Intangible Cultural Properties,[4] and was sufficiently important in the past for it to have been a state-sponsored profession.